July 19, 2022

Reflection

COME APART 

OR

COME APART

A few years ago, I gave a Saturday morning time of retreat to some religion catechists.

I like to come up with as theme.  So since we were coming apart to do this. Since we were leaving a part of ourselves at home - and bringing a part of ourselves to a quiet place - a church basement - the gospel scene of Jesus escaping to a deserted place hit me.

I don't know what the new translation is - but the old one uses the words, "Come apart to a deserted place."

I also like to come up with a catchy title - so the words and theme, "Come Apart or Come Apart" hit me.

We need time at different times in our life to catch up with ourselves.

We need time to escape from times and its pressures - and commitments - as well as the people and the places that pull us.

We are like a parent in a car on a long  trip and three kids are pulling and pushing each other - and us. One is saying, "He hit me." Another is saying, "She's sulking." Another is yelling, "He took my crayons." Another says, "Where are we going?" Another whines, "When are we going to get there."

Scream!

We want to stop the car right then and right there and yell, "Time out."

We want to scream, "Shut up."

We want to say, "At the next stop I'm leaving you."

We can't wait till they grow up.

We want to get into a quiet place - before we come apart.

We want to put all our pulls and pushes, screams and squirms, into a big plastic bag and dump them into the next dumpster  we see on the side of the road.

Come apart - before - we come apart.